By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast. Psalm 33:6, 8-9 Dear Sisters whom God has chosen,      His name is power. His words unfathomable power! My spirit was so moved this past week, sparked by Psalm 42:8... The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.        As I began meditating on this scripture it came richly alive. How gracious our LORD is to so lovingly care for us. I thought how I need His lovingkindness and without Him what song would I sing in the night? probably a dirge in mournful shrieks. Only our God gives a song in the night.       I came across a second verse which buoyed my spirit in Psalm 68:28: Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf. The very God who commands His loving kindness toward us also commands our strength. We have His heart for our every need. Even if we feel we cannot go on, we have reason not to despair in the battle. We have hope in God because of His Presence.   This definition enriched my understanding of command.             1. To bid; to order; to direct; to charge; implying authority, and power to control, and to require obedience. 2. To govern, lead or direct; to have or to exercise supreme authority over. 3. To have in power; to be able to exercise power or authority over; as, a military post commands the surrounding country Scripture teaches : *God commands nature, directing the stormy winds and sea - Psalm 78:20, Luke 8:24 *God commands blessing, eternal life -Psalm 133:3 *God commanded creation into being -Psalm 148:5 *God commands fish and they obey -Jonah 2:10 *God commands men to speak or not to speak -Jeremiah 26:2,8,9,  *God commands dreams at His will -Matthew 1:24 *God commands demons and they obey- Luke 8:29 *God has command over disease and affliciton and death! Matt 11:5 It was so exciting to own this Truth, I danced! This God, who spoke the Universe into being, commands my strength and His lovingkindness into my life. The stars shine at His command. He can command the stones to cry out and they would obey. He commanded a jackass to speak! Allow the truth of His power warm your heart into awe. Where is our strength? It is in His hands. There is always strength for the day. Receive it by faith. Begin by thanking Him for the strength He has promised. How many promises we leave unclaimed! Jesus commands us: 'love one another as I have loved you' that a lost world may know you belong to Him. This is the eleventh commandment. (John 13:34)  He is the God of living hope. I Peter 1:3 His work in our lives, all He allows, is designed to make us 'partakers of His holiness'. We are under His training. There are no shortcuts dear sisters. Anyone God has used greatly was a graduate of His training school. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Paul. The result? a fruitfulness that brings Him glory. You are not forgotten. He knows everything you face, He has given the trial permission. He cares and is in attendance. "His sympathy is not expressed in removing the affliction but in raising one above it to Himself, so that He becomes so endeared to the heart that He is more an object to the heart than oneself." JBS Remember Who commands your strength to endure as you face daily opposition. Suffering is allowed for a reason. You desperately need to cloth yourself in God’s armor each morning so you can “stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” I hope these thoughts provoke you to stand in AWE of Him! Father, How amazing You are to me. The words of this song below express this. Take my heart and fill it with faith to trust You and to rejoice in You. Thank you for choosing me, loving me and providing for my every need. You are my Refuge and Sanctuary and Living Hope!  Bless my sisters drawing their hearts to worship and stand in awe of You. I pray in the Name before which every knee will bow and every tongue confess that You are LORD! amen I Stand In Awe                  You are beautiful beyond description    Too marvelous for words,      Too wonderful for comprehension, Like nothing ever seen or heard.           Who can grasp your infinite wisdom? Who can fathom the depth of your love?       You are beautiful beyond description,         Majesty enthroned  above. And I stand, I stand, in awe of you. I stand, I stand in awe of you.       Holy God, to whom all praise is due, I stand In awe of you. May this be your song in the night. You are prayed for and loved by the King az

Hidden in Christ

How great is the goodness       you have stored up for those who fear you.    You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,       blessing them before the watching world.   You hide them in the shelter of your presence... Psalm 31:19-20 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;          You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 32:7 My dear Sisters, What kind of week did you experience last week? I blew up a piece of salmon in the Micro, shut my finger tip in a drawer hard, I left my credit card in a photo machine and it was taken and they quickly charged almost $1000, my bird ,Zeek, experienced a freak, frightening accident getting caught in a small chain in mid flight and he panicked and screamed and flailed. It was horrible. Also, I lost my card to get in to Lifetime and when I finally got to the locker I had no socks and leaving the club I drove over a double curb! Some weeks we face daily harassment, not counting relationally! Yet, in His faithfulness I have also been blessed by my mentor and in His word and sweet Presence.  As a new Christian I did not know my own heart and the evil lurking there or what I was capable of! I tried to attain a victorious life by prayer, bible study, church, consecration and commitment! When all the while the answer was simply to abide where I had already been placed: in my Lord Jesus Christ. I was to abide above 'behold' Him. Trials expose my heart revealing the old man.  At first my old nature hid from me. Then I tried to hide from it. But as as I began to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, I had to face the truth concerning my heart condition and God's condemnation at the Cross. As the Holy Spirit revealed the old man I counted upon death, as He revealed the new man I began to count on life. (Col 3:9, Romans 6:11)  Injustice helps us deal with our anxiety, intensity, instability, pessimism and other negative manifestations of our sinful flesh. We learn to be tranquil and strong under duress. D.R The more I have learned to abide in Christ the less disappointment I am with this life. The more I am enjoy Him in His word, not just having a quiet time to cross off my 'to do' list, but to Behold Him. The secret is to come 'from' Him, (not just from HIs word) most of us only go to Him hoping He hears us.  Suffering clears my vision, giving me a choice: trust or fear. Do I fear loss or even fear my God is being careless with  me? Stubbornly I refuse to humble myself. Instead, I grow weary defending myself and am not trusting He is near and in control, calling me to rest.  Resting does not change my circumstances but it infuses me with endurance and courage to keep trusting and not give up or give in. All the while He hides me from the intrigues of our enemy.  We may despair of our cause, but we should never despair of our God. D.R. . Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. I Peter 5:6-7 It was deliverance all the while this week, to be enfolded in worship music and meditate on verses about being hidden with Christ in God. Just as David cried out so do I: "You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; (from trouble harming me!) You surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7 We are hidden in our Savior! Is there a safer place? Trouble will come but I will not be harmed. All that comes my way has first been given permission passing through His nail scarred hand. O that I might learn to rest, trusting Him. Abba, Your lessons are necessary. I have much to learn. Keep my heart tender and give me ears to hear only Your voice. Where else would I go with my trouble and all that hurts me and all I do not understand? You often trust me with the mystery of Your will and I struggle to understand instead of trusting and resting. Thank You for never giving up on me and never leaving me alone to struggle. How beautiful is Your holy patience. I have done nothing this week to merit Your favor or grace or mercy.... or love. (this list could continue!) Yet You lavish such upon me because You are good. You hide me in Christ because great is Your compassion! I am humbled to be loved by You, God, perfect and Holy who suffered the Cross for me. The crossbeam became my bridge back to You. With tears I cry "You are my hiding place, You preserve me, You surround me with songs of deliverance! How great You are Yaweh!"  I pry in the Name of the Son You sent from Your side, to die for me. Thank You! amen.  Praying for each of you by name, az

The Cross

May 18, 2010 Teach me your way, O LORD,                                                      and I will walk in your truth;    give me an undivided heart,    that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11 My dearest Sisters, Loved by the LORD of Life and death, Three tests before breakfast, "O how loved I am!" And how loved you are, when the Lord is relentless in His molding us into the likeness of His Son! It is then His Word lives and His Spirit convicts of sin and He allows us to be humbled, testing us. We are left pummeled as He is moves us from self-dependence to Christ-dependence. It most-often requires suffering to bring us to the end of ourselves. He is calling us to the Cross. Blessed be the Cross! Many of us love our Lord knowing we are assured of a blood-bought place in heaven, but few of us take up our cross and follow Him. (For that requires death to self and we side step that more than we want to admit.) Many of us desire comfort and few would choose suffering. We seek to rejoice with Him but avoid suffering embarrassment for His sake. He finds those who gladly share His feast but ignore the Cup.  Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" Matt 20:22  We gladly confess His name in church, but avoid witnessing at every opportunity. We love Jesus as long it isn't coupled with hardship. We praise as long as we receive comfort from Him. T.K. As I considered these things I was ashamed. Often my love for Jesus is for my own sake! He waits, longing for me to find my delight in Him. If I am loving Him for His sake and not my own comfort, I will bless Him in trial, even if my heart is in anguish. When He withdraws His comfort, (His 'felt' Presence) teaching me faith-lessons and I struggle with loneliness over this loss, I have a choice... trust Him or not trust Him. My choice determines whether the trials will distract me from loving and enjoying Him.  I am so easily distracted! I pray Psalm 86:11 for myself. I find pain, emotional or physical, is a distraction. Wanting what God has seen fit to withhold or wanting things to be different or for a trial to be over feeds distraction. I find this is the same as doubting His love and care for me. There is no rest in distraction. When my heart is distracted from beholding Christ and His Cross, I am not embracing His purpose for me. I am blatantly refusing my cross and not embracing His Cross allowing self to find rich soil in which to establish a stronghold. Why do I fear to take up my cross? Is it lack of knowing Him intimately? In my head I know His Cross is life. He has gone before me bearing His Cross. If I die with Him, I will live with Him. Everything depends of the Cross. There is no other way to peace or purpose. No higher way, no safer way. Safety against the enemy. When I take up my cross am I willing to bear the Cross as long as He wills? The flesh will only yield to the Cross. To live a dying life is to live to God. Only where I count myself dead to sin will I know His resurrection life in me. Job cried, "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him". Do I love Him enough to cry out these same words? The powerful effect of the Cross with God, in heaven, in the blotting out of guilt, and our renewed union with God, is inseparable from the other effect- the breaking down of the authority of sin over man, by the crucifixion of self. Therefore scripture teaches us that the cross not only works out a disposition or desire to make such a sacrifice, but it really bestows the power to do so, and completes the work.- Andrew Murray Father,  Give us understanding of the Truth of the Cross. Take head knowledge and make it heart knowledge. Make us willing servants. Thank You forbeing a God who is at work in us, both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. Fill our hearts with a burning desire to know You intimately; for then we will embrace Your Cross and our cross. Teach us to count ourselves crucified with Christ, for it is Truth. Thank You for those who have gone on before and have nurtured us with words of Truth. We are Your purchased possession. Cherished and empowered to bring You glory and a lost world hope! Keep us faithful, keep us loving You, Keep us needing You. Keep us believing in the finished work of the Cross.  You have defeated the enemy, dealt with our sins and our old sin nature and given us freedom from the power of sin. Calvary is the secret of it all. And for this we praise You. I cry out for You to cause us to Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength.' I pray in the power of the Name of Jesus, crucified and risen! amen embracing the Cross, az Galatians 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.